Jer

I have an e39 M5, whilst driving one day the car misfired and the engine light came on so I took it to BMW garage. They replaced cam sensor, throttle body sensor and battery at a cost of £1500. I got the car back for it to happen again a week later this time they replaced an injector. Got the car back for it to happen again, they took the car in and told me they had trapped a wire and gave me the car back for it to happen again. They had the car for another week to tell me a Vanos had gone at a cost of £2000 which they replaced. Got the car back for same fault to happen again. The car is back at BMW and they are still trying to find the fault.
I am not happy as when they do find the fault it will cost me more but I feel they have done unnecessary work on the car as they have not found the fault. I have paid for all bills on credit card. What’s peoples opinions / experience on what I should do. Should I phone the credit card company? I spoke with the service manager to be told all these parts have been flagging up faults on the computer.

jjones

i would ask for the old parts for start

Petem95

If you think they've been mis-diagnosing the problem then I'd write to BMW and complain and also write to some of the car mags and you might be in with a chance of getting some of that money back.

PeteBrant

I would not have that for a second. You have bought the car in with a fault, and they have not fixed it. Anything they try to repair it is at thier own cost. If they cannot diagnose the problem correctly then that i thier ineptitude, and should not be to your expense.

Example. When I had my jag, I had a rumble that could have been a wheel bearing or a rear diff. The mechanic was forced to take a educated guess as to which it was, so he tried the rear diff first. If he was worng, then he would not have charged me for the part or the labour because it is not my problem that he diagnosed the fault incorrectly. As it turns out he got it right, and I only paid for the work to get the car right.

To give an analogy. If you had taken your car in with a faulty electric window, and in reparing it they tried to fit a new sterring wheel, would you accept being charged for the fitting and cost of the wheel? Not a chance - that; not what you asked them to do.

I would absolutely go nuts.

Wish

iTrader: (2)

Speak to BMW customer service they are the best out there !!

Top top marks from me for them

monkeysan

agreed - flag it with BMW customer service straight away

i got a gearbox FOC after 17k on my mini, knobba in the dealers tried to say i had abused it (even i'm not THAT harsh)

sti-04!!

It wasnt our good friend Mr Park was it ??

My M3 developed a fault with the hood when i had it & i put it into them for a warranty repair, there Service Advisor called me to tell me that the fault had happen when i had the roof down & i hadnt fitted it right
I explained to the Service Advisor (a female by the way) that it was November, i bought the car in october & the roof hadnt been up due to the hard top being on. The only reason i went to use it was because i was going to play golf & need the bigger boot for my clubs. After a bit of to'in & fro'in they realised that it was a warranty repair after all & there was a sticky sensor.

Useless *******.

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

OMG, you have paid how much and the fault is still not fixed

Get your old parts, although trying to get them now may be hard. Talk to trading standards, watchdog and car mags. Talk to everyone, especially BMW. Why should you be paying for things that have not fixed the fault. You did not make their fault diagnosis equipment, its not your fault that it is not working. If don't know what they are doing, its not your problem.

As you paid on credit card, you can also try and claim money back from them.

As a final note, I think by the end of this you will be needing to use a different garage. In fact, it may be a good time to get an expert to find out what is really wrong and then take action against the garage....all after speaking to BMW that is. Let them know and see what they say.

Oh, and record and keep everything. Try and get all calls on tape, if someone admits to something, you want the proof.

LegacySTi

iTrader: (13)

defo absolutely cancel the card payment.........

and then persue complaint with BMW GB for an imcompatant dealer..

Jer

I'm saying nothing; I also got the car back on Friday night to a squealing nose from the steering and a big dirty mark on one of the tyres. Guaranteed one of their monkeys has hit something but won't admit it. The car's steering was fine when it went in but now they want £600 for a new suspension arm and track rod end. I was looking at a new M5 they can get lost if they think I will give them any more business.

Phoning BMW customer care is a good idea.

LegacySTi

iTrader: (13)

is this a **** take????????????????

FlightMan

Sorry, this is either a wind up, or the dealers a complete joke and BMW GB should be contacted asap.

My money's on a wind up.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Even I could fix a poor M is I just systematically replaced it all with new bits.

Jer

Deffo not a wind up it's happening to me right now. I can't believe the service I’ve had. Phoned customer services today and the guy said he would get back to me today but he did not but seemed very helpful.
I served my time as a mechanic with VW / Audi and know the score, these guys are taking the biscuit. I have phoned the credit card company and they wan't written proof from another garage.

David Lock

Is the garage an authorised BMW dealership of just a garage that specialised in BMWs?

I am all for putting things in writing so I would write to BMW customer service and put cc: Trading Standards on bottom. Send copies of all bills and keep originals. Politely ask for full and immediate reimbursement (if garage is an authorised dealer) and request full explanation of this appalling rip-off.

If you served time as a mechanic I am rather surprised you let it go this far? Good luck.

robby

Has the dealer kept the print outs from the diagnostic checks?

I'd contact trading standards or Citizens Advice

LegacySTi

iTrader: (13)

as said.. if you've served your time as a mechanic you would not have allowed 3-4k up on your card for a bill that hasn't sorted your problem?

Jer

Are you saying am lying? I served my time with VAG in 89 to 93 things have changed a bit since then. The first bill was for £1500 for injector and sensors, then £2000 for VANOS. They did show me the printout with the VANOS fault. They are trying to say the car had all these problems, I am in talks with BMW now and will let you know the outcome. Still have not fixed it though.

serega

First of all, they will not fix things without your approval. If they were trying to diagnose a problem and found another one - they would call you and ask if you want that other problem fixed as well.

But, if they think that the problem you described was caused by one the things they replaced, then it should've got rid of the problem - if it didnt, then they should not charge you for that.

However, if they are really dodgy, once you take the car back to them to put all your old stuff in, you might find that your car has developed new faults. Take the problem to management, customer services and as high as you can to get this problem sorted. Or, if the parts that they mention replacing were really replaced, it might be worth it to just put up with it ( in the end, you did get some new parts anyway ) And next time go to a different garage.